Heroes' Dawn
by poweredtoenail
Summary: Welcome to Hearthwood Academy where fledgling adventures learn the tricks of the trade. Between impending bankruptcy and epic rivalries, the final class enters. Will they make it one more year?


**A/N: To anyone who remembers me, I'm back. To those who don't this is my first Vocaloid story in a pretty long time. I'll let you get to reading now so enjoy.**

9:00 AM

"Let me be the first to welcome you to Hearthwood Adventurer's Academy. We hope you all made it here without too many problems. I am Headmaster Kaito Shion." He surveyed the new students from his podium. Even though he had only begun his speech several were already dozing off. He cleared his throat as loud as he could. Twenty-three heads turned his way, he figured only one not paying attention was good enough.

"As the Headmaster was saying," a woman pushed Kaito off the podium, "Welcome to Hearthwood, if you guys hadn't shown up we probably would have had to shut down." Several staff members shuffled uncomfortably with those words. "But let's not think about that, you're all here and we're all very thankful for that. I'm the school's doctor Meiko Sakine. Standing here next to me are all the people who didn't jump ship and transfer to another school, those traitors. You twenty-four are the future of the school and we instructors, staff, senior students and alumni will do everything in our power to make sure you succeed." Meiko gripped the edges of the podium.

The Headmaster took back the podium, "Of the staff who didn't leave us is the lovely Miss Miriam who teaches alchemy, the brother-sister combat instructors Lola and Leon, The surprisingly tact Nurse Meiko," she rolled her eyes at him, "and myself. Filling in for missing staff we have the recently graduated Zola triplets who will run the student store, a longtime benefactor Mr. Hiyama will become the head librarian and taking over groundskeeper will be the implacable Big Al. As for instructors we are still evaluating our options. I wish you all the luck and hope you enjoy your time here. That concludes the welcoming ceremony. If you all could follow Miss Miriam, she will show you to the dorms.

The group followed Miriam from the outdoor stage to a large semi-abandoned building. "Here we are," she told the group, "Feel free to use any room on the first floor. You will find your class assignments in the envelopes you received before the opening ceremony. Dinner is at seven on the first floor, classes begin at nine tomorrow and if you happen to see a giant rat please don't hesitate to kill it. Good night," she walked away rather quickly.

The dorm building also known as Hearthwood Hall, stood at four stories tall and contained numerous rooms of varying descriptions. The first floor consisted of lounges and parlors. The second and third floors contained the student quarters. The top floor held the private offices and sleeping quarters for the staff. Once the students reached the second floor lobby chaos broke.

"This way, Luka," a blonde girl pulled a tall, rose girl down a hall.

"Onward," another blonde girl yelled as she piggybacked on her brother down the same hallway.

"I want one with a view," a teal haired girl knocked aside several others.

Seconds later all that remained in the lobby were a purple-haired, young man and a small girl.

"Would you like to bunk together?" he asked hesitantly.

Unsure of what to do she nodded in agreement, "I'm Yuki Kaai."

"I am Gakupo Kamui, a pleasure make your acquaintance," he took her hand in his.

She blushed, "Which way do you want to go?"

"I suspect many rooms have already been taken so let us go see what is left."

They walked down a hallway luggage in tow. Gakupo opened the first door and promptly shut it before Yuki could look inside.

"Let us keep looking," he tried and failed completely to hide his embarrassment.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Nothing." He scooted Yuki to the next door.

"Okay."

But what he saw in the room was anything but nothing. Two girls, Lily and Luka claimed the room and he saw everything they had to offer in vivid detail. For the next room Gakupo knocked but opened the door when no one answered. It contained the twin siblings Rin and Len were fighting over the top bunk. Rin had her brother in a choke hold against the wall.

"It's mine," Len struggled against his sister.

"You can have it when I'm dead." she jammed her knee into into his back.

Gakupo and Yuki decided to close the door very quietly and move on to the next door. Gakupo knocked on the next door but once again no one answered. He opened the door to another argument. Miku and Gumi were by all accounts best enemies. They despised each other so much they wouldn't let each other out of their sight lest they do something to gain an advantage over the other and this day was no different.

"Get you're garbage out of my space." Miku yelled.

"As soon as you move yours out of mine," Gumi yelled back.

They moved their dressers back to back and placed a large board in the space between to build an impromptu wall. And just like before Gakupo and Yuki decided to close the door before they were noticed. The pair found the next door open it belonged to another pair of girls Sonika and Miki.

"Hello is this room taken?" Yuki asked.

"Yes but you can stay little girl." Sonika, a green haired, green eyed girl answered.

"Would you like a cookie?" another girl, Miki offered.

"Yes please." she went deeper into the room.

Sonika pushed Gakupo back out into the hallway.

"You know you picked a very troublesome roommate," Sonika stated.

"I did?" Gakupo asked.

"Do you know who she is?"

"No, please explain," he eyed the girl carefully.

"She is the heiress to a rather eccentric but incredibly wealthy family. When a Kaai heir reaches ten years old they are sent to an academy like this one to be tested.

"I do not see the issue."

"Let me finish. Once the test begins a price will be put on her head, a price so exorbitant that every mercenary worth their salt will try to answer. If the heir survives they become the new head of the family, if they don't the family picks a new heir and the test restarts."

"So what does this have to do with you?"

"We offer to hide her when that time comes and maybe receive a 'small' reward when all is said and done," Sonika grinned at the young man, "of course we are willing to share some of it with you."

"That is fine and well but it seems you don't know who I am."

Sonika rolled her eyes at him, "Who pray tell are you than?"

"I am descended from Kamui blood. We protect those who need it most, regardless of the cost be they rich or poor." Gakupo drew his katana. The violet blade vibrated the air emitting a ringing sound. "If she is who you say she is, I will stand before her enemies as if they were my own. Are you friend or foe? Speak now or be silenced forever," He pointed his sword at her.

"Friend! Friend!" she put her hands up, "Just remember that we'll be here if you change your mind," Sonika slinked back into her room retrieved Yuki for him.

"Let us keep looking." He sheathed his sword. She nodded back at him.

This time Yuki opened next door to find a couple Iroha and Piko. They were simply unpacking.

"Let's put our dressers together," Iroha ordered as Piko did the actual work of moving them.

The pair moved on to the next and final room, "This is the last room in the hallway. We may have to go to the other wing," Gakupo said. Yuki opened the door to find it empty.

"Yay, we finally found one," Yuki ran around the room excited. It was a simple room with a bed and dresser at each end of the room, a dividing curtain in the middle and a large shared closet. Gakupo's first order of business was to find a home for his sword; Yuki's, to unpack all of her clothes.

7:00 PM

Time flew for the new students and before they knew it they were sharing their first meal together.

"Tonight's dinner is pork stew," Leon told the quickly filling dinning room. He walked around serving the dish out of a large pot. All went well until he reached Iroha.

"What is this?" she looked down at her bowl disgusted.

"Protein," he answered. They had the whole room's attention.

"Well it looks like something my boyfriend leaves in the toilet," she fired back, "look at this, the pork is all slimy and the vegetables are falling apart." she picked up an offending vegetable with her spoon.

"Well you all were going to go hungry because none of the other staff wanted to cook."

"Calm down Iroha," Piko tried to rein her in but it was too late.

"Where's the kitchen?" Iroha almost yelled, "Everyone don't eat this, from now on I'm cooking. Where's the kitchen?" she jabbed a finger at Leon.

"Through that door," Rather dejected Leon took a seat next to his sister.

"It's okay bro. I still like your cooking," she served herself a large bowl of the stew. Forty-five minutes later all the students had a steak in front of them. When Iroha took her seat she shot a glare at the still depressed Leon who turned his head in shame.

"Did I make it just the way you like it, my love?" she asked Piko. He nodded as he dug in.

Over at another table Luka and Lily happily dug into their steaks.

"Is it good?" Lily asked her friend.

"Very." Rather than cut her steak apart she simply stabbed it with her fork and bit chunks off of it. Across from them were the twins, Rin and Len.

"Hey you, what's your name?" Rin pointed at the pink haired girl.

"Her name is Luka," Lily answered for her.

"I'm Rin and I wasn't asking you, I was asking her."

"Well I'm speaking for her."

"And who are you her mother?"

"No, her best friend," Lily jabbed a fork at the smaller girl.

"Why do I have to answer to you?" Rin jabbed her fork back.

"Because Luka is very shy."

"She doesn't seem very shy with the way she was eating that steak."

As soon as Rin said those words Luka began to turn red. Brighter and brighter until out of no where Luka put on a cat shaped beanie and pulled over her head until it covered her face.

"Now look what you've done." Lily yelled at the girl.

"What I did? You're the one who's babying her." Rin yelled back.

THUMP. Luka's head hit the table.

"Come on Luka, I think it's time to go. We need to get ready for tomorrow," Lily led Luka out of the dinning room.

"What are you all looking at?" Rin yelled at the room.

Late Night

"You sleep first," Miku looked at the dark ceiling.

"No, you first," Gumi fired back from her side of the room.

Both girls were in bed but neither would sleep without knowing the other was asleep. Miku launched a pillow a pillow at Gumi.

"How do you expect me to sleep if you're throwing pillows at me and thanks for the extra comfort by the way," Gumi stuck her tongue out but Miku couldn't see it. Miku hopped out of bed and descended on the unsuspecting girl with another pillow in hand.

"Sleep," Miku covered Gumi's face with pillow. The girl underneath swung her legs catching Miku's shirt.

"Get off," Gumi yelled throwing Miku over the dividing wall, "I'll make you sleep until the sun explodes." Power began to gather in her hands and feet.

"Bring it on," Miku climbed to her feet drawing a pair of swords from under her bed. The door slammed open and there stood the rest of their class.

"GO TO BED!," they yelled simultaneously.

Due to being outnumbered five to one they decided to drop the fight and go to bed but they weren't happy about.

"Four eyes."

"Daddy's girl."

**A/N: And so concludes the first day at Hearthwood. I hope you liked it. If you were paying attention you'll notice that twelve characters didn't appear, they will be important later but for now they're anonymous background characters.**


End file.
